Psalms 110 and verse 3. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. In the beauty of holiness from
the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of youth. Now look at the first part again.
thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." We'll
look at the syntax of that again a little bit later. But today
we take up, let me say, five smooth stones in order that we
might take aim at the head of Goliath of Arminianism, and their
choice idol as I have hinted. John Owens wrote about this,
and he called it, quote, this stout idol. Again, he called
it, quote, this great deity of free will, which is no doubt
the most revered of all of the false doctrine of Arminianism
scattered about in the world today. Now, a little bit of history
and a little bit of background I think might serve our purpose
well. At the first appearing among
Christianity in the churches of this doctrine of free will,
like Ezekiel's little deserted infant girl cast out into the
open field in Ezekiel chapter 16, it seemed to have little
hope of surviving, for in the church at that time, there were
few eyes that did pity it, and this bastard or illegitimate
child that was embraced by but few. Some have charged that Origen,
as he is known, being among the first of them that brought this
doctrine of free will out of the closet and into some of the
churches though it was not well received at first. Then, as it lingered along, as
it were, on life support, came Pelagius, a heretic, and breathed
into it again a little breath of life. And Arminius came along
and further nourished it. And though it received a hard
blow to the head in the days of the Reformation, again, it
managed to cling unto life and was nourished and was embraced
by many in that apostate age until now. It has become the
accepted doctrine of most churches and of whole entire denomination. Now, get this point, if you will.
Whatever be their other differences, or whatever else they might disagree
and vehemently disagree about on other issues, yet notice that
on free will, they are in agreement. And they have this in common,
that there is more that unites them than there is that divides
them. And together they parade this
false idol and deity before the world and spew out their venom
against any that challenge their daggone black stump idol of free
will. So the question for us to face
today, what about this teaching of free will? What about it?
Is it true? Is it biblical? Is it Christian
doctrine? What does the Bible have to say? Now we must agree, Scripture
teaches us that humans are indeed endowed with the faculty of will,
some calling it the deciding faculty in that it makes this
decision or that. And we even grant that the will,
when it wills and when it acts, acts freely. That is, it acts
without force, though not without influence or factor. to be brought
in. Still, we deny that the will
of man is independent, or is supreme, or is sovereign, so
that it is able to overpower the will of God, and that God's
will only is absolute, free, and sovereign, and not the will
of man. But, and I want you to listen
now, listen, reason in your mind, be honest and take the testimony
and the example of the scripture, that exhortation before we move
along. Now, our present study concerns
the state of the will in spiritual matters, that is, in salvation,
where the free will has the final say. in the saving of a soul? Or have the Armenians given the
will of man more power than it is ever capable of in itself,
and bestowed upon it much more honor than it is ever due? Now concerning free will and
the Arminian teaching on it, I do not think that Owen overcharged
them when he wrote that they have made a stout idol out of
free will. And I don't think they were wrong
who called it a proud Luciferian endeavor, unquote. And they will
go to almost any length go to almost anything to protect their
favorite idol and doctrine from being defiled or from being insulted
or from being destroyed altogether. Now before moving forward, let's
hear some of the effective remarks that the Armenians have ascribed
unto free will. Let's hear the affection that
the Armenians have for free will and the high esteem with which
they regard it. And we shall do that by quoting
from their own teachers. from quoting from their very
own writing, using their very own words so that they cannot
accuse us of misrepresenting their position or taking their
views out of context or building up a caricature or a straw man
and then setting fire to it. Here, for example, are their
own words. Arminius himself wrote this,
and I'm quoting, All unregenerate men have, by virtue of their
free will, a power of resisting the Holy Spirit, of rejecting
the offered grace of God, of contemning the counsel of God
concerning themselves, of refusing the gospel of grace, and of not
opening their heart to him that knocks." Then here's a quote
from another, Carvinus or Cabinus. All the operations of grace which
God can use in our conversion, yet conversion remains so in
our own free power that we cannot be converted. That is, we can
either turn or not turn ourselves Unquote. Years ago, an old preacher
friend of mine that I had a lot of confidence in and that claimed
to be a sovereign grace preacher recommended a book to some of
us young preachers one day, a writer by the name of Watchman Nee. And I went out and bought that
book, and in reading it, I found this inscription in it in discussing
the will of man, and we should bear in remembrance. Here is
the quote. That is, man exercises a free
will that means that man is sovereign and that he has a sovereign will. Free will therefore signifies
that man can choose what he wants." Later he writes this. quote,
in between the will of God and the will of Satan subsist the
sovereign, independent, free will of man, unquote. Now, one more. In reading Garden
Clark's good book on foreordination, he referred to a statement and
experience he had concerning Billy Graham. that when Billy
Graham came to preach in Indianapolis, at the end of the sermon, he
invited some to come forward. And of those that came forward,
he said this, they came forward to accept Jesus. He told the
others that were present there in their seats, quote, no need
to pray for these who have come forward. that not even God can
help them now. They must accept Christ of their
own free will. God has no power over the free
will of man." These are the words and the exhortation of Billy
Graham, a man held in high esteem by many. I believe, but I could
be wrong, that another quote could be attributed unto him,
that God is too much of a gentleman to violate the will of man. Now, this is full-blown Arminianism. And to these statements and these
things, the old Puritan John Owen wrote, What a stout idol
is this, that not even the power of God can overcome it. Now the conclusion of that is
this, that not even, this means that woe is our condition. If when God calls or we hear
the gospel, our wills are not in a good humor. What about that? What a pity.
For free will-ism is adamant. Despite God's purpose and intent
to save, despite his so great love and the sending of his son,
and that son making a redemption for all, so they say, and the
preaching of the Word of God, and the wooing and the convicting
of the Holy Spirit, they say, free will yet is like a mighty
Samson, able to overcome all of these Free will they say is
able to resist all that God has done and all that God can do. So that free will is a mighty
fortress which God is not able to penetrate until the will be
willing. According to the Arminian. We
would ask them, therefore, why is this free will limited to
salvation? Why do you put the limits at
salvation? For it is clear that people cannot,
I emphasize, cannot, will not to be sick. They cannot will
not to be old or infirm. They cannot will not to die,
can they? And they cannot will not to stand
in judgment before God. And they cannot will or refuse
to be resurrected. They cannot will to live forever. How then can any will themselves
into eternal life if they cannot even will themselves a continuance
in this life? Why then do so many believe in
and practice free will and preach it and love it and fight for
it and fight against any that might oppose it? I might lay
out a few reasons along that line. Number one, today it is
widely preached. Go anywhere and you're likely,
more likely, to hear it preached. Nothing else much is preached,
but this is the common doctrine. Number two, I charge them that
they are ignorant of the teaching of the scripture. Number three,
I charge them that they do not understand the depth or the breadth
of human depravity. They hold in too high opinion
human nature. Number four, it flatters them
that they can decide their own destiny and that God is at their
back and their call. These, I tell you, were the first
to be pro-choice in the sense of the word. So, we will consider
two things in regard unto free will, and consider them at some
length God willing. Two things are, number one, we
will weigh it first of all in the light of the scripture. What does Scripture teach us
about it? We will bring it to the touchstone
of the Word of God and shine the light of the Scripture upon
it. That we will do first. Secondly,
we will consider the illegitimate children that are born of this
heartache and how it degrades the grace of God, how it perverts
the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So the first matter
is always, what does the scripture teach about it? Our opinion is
of no value. What we've been taught is of
no value unless it line up and square with the Word of God. So we begin by asking, well,
as they do, what about whosoever will? What about the scripture,
whosoever believes? Are these not free will texts
they would argue in their defense? So let's start with a verse that
we read in Psalm 110 And verse 3, thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power. And of course, considering the
context in which we find it, and some good points for emphasis. Who is mentioned here? Thy people
are mentioned. What? What is it is being said? They shall be willing. When and why is next to be looked
at? In the day of thy power. Who? Thy people. What? Shall be willing. When and why? In the day of thy power. Now it will be well for us to
remember that the New Testament makes several references to this
passage in Psalm 110. In the first verses, the New
Testament mentions it, references it several times. In verse 1,
of Psalm 110. You'll find it in Matthew 22
and verse 44. You'll find it in Hebrews 1 and
verse 13. You'll find it in 1 Corinthians
chapter 15 and verse 25. All of them a reference to verse
1. And verse 4 is a very strong
proof text for the apostle in the book of
Hebrews for the eternal priesthood of our Lord. You'll find it Hebrews
7, 21, 5 and 6, 6 and 20, and 7 and 17. He quotes that verse. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. And on that verse, He rests the
priesthood, the perpetual priesthood, of the Lord Jesus Christ, that
the psalmist wrote, Thou hast sworn and will not repent. You are a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. And concerning this passage,
check, but not now, Mark chapter 12, 35 through verse 37, to see
how the Lord used this text of himself, applying it to himself,
to see how the Lord used it and said that it was a reference
unto himself. Now who can say, who can deny
that the 110th Psalm is indeed Messianic? See Acts chapter 2
and verse 34. Now some expositors see verse
3, chapter 110, couched or put forth in military terms, an allusion
to a mighty general assembling himself an army. And so you will
see that verse rendered in some versions of the scripture, thy
people will volunteer freely in the day of thy power, or some
have it in the day of thy assembly, or in the day of your army, for
they are words spoken by the Father unto the Son. John Gill
wrote on this verse of this psalm, and I'm quoting, the psalm is
only applicable unto Christ and cannot be accommodated to any
other." To which we remember Christ himself, the Apostle Peter,
and the Hebrew author, all of them contend that it is Messiah
that is before us here in this passage of the scripture. But
we are interested in the willingness of his people to yield up themselves
unto him. But this being willing is qualified
here in this passage as being in the day of his power. It is not said that they were
naturally willing, and it is not said that they made themselves
Willing for this being willing is connected directly to the
exercise of the power of God and this note just see how Paul
describes the power that has made us believers in Ephesians
chapter 1 verse 19 and 20 where he speaks about of the exceeding greatness of
his power toward us who believe according to the working of his
mighty power. And the margin has it by the
might of his power. We believe by the might of his
power. The same power, says Paul, that
raised up Christ from the dead. an old writer and preacher by
the name of Theophilus Jones. Who would name their little boy
Theophilus? But he preached a sermon on this
text in the year of our Lord, 18 and verse 23. And he said, quote, this refers
in a general way to the times of the gospel and in particular
to the way or the day of conversion, unquote. And Gill wrote that
it signifies any particular soul at conversion which is a day
or a time of God's power, when those who before were unwilling
are then made willing by the power of God and willingly and
freely and gladly embrace Christ as he is preached in the gospel.
For as Paul wrote, it is God that works in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2 and 13, is that
not clear? It is God that worketh in you
both to will and to do. One of the best examples that
I can think of in the scripture is that of Saul of Tarshish. You'll find it in Acts chapter
9, a strong enemy of Christianity. He hated it, and he persecuted
it with violence against the church and against the saints
of God, and yet was struck down on Damascus Road and gloriously
converted unto Christ. Now, my question is, where is
free will in the conversion of Saul of Tarshish? Can you find
free will in his conversion? He tells of his former enmity
against the churches in Galatians 1.13, 1 Timothy 2-13, and played
out in Acts 8-3. In fact, He was in the act of persecuting
the church when Christ appeared unto him in Acts 8. He was breathing
threatenings and slaughter. He had letters of authority on
his person from the priest to throw into prison those that
confess Christianity when Christ appeared unto him. Granted it,
granted, he willingly, freely, on that occasion, embraced Christ. but because it was a time of
God's power. It was a work of God. It was
not a result of free will or making himself willing, or as
he later would write, he was, quote, apprehended of Christ
Jesus, unquote, Philippians 3 and verse 12. You ought to study
that. For whom I was apprehended of Jesus Christ. The word in
the King James, apprehended, will provide us a short word
study, but profitable. It is at least a dozen times
in the New Testament with such meanings as to eagerly take,
to seize, or to possess, or to come upon, and so forth. That
is its meaning. And it is the word used in John
8, verse 3 and verse 4, of the woman taken in adultery. There's that word, apprehended,
seized, taken in adultery. Caught, apprehended in adultery. Same word that Paul uses there
in Philippians 2 and verse 13. In John 1 and 5, the same word
appears again. When darkness could not overtake
the light. It could not overtake the light. In Mark 9 verse 18, when the
evil spirit seized, grabbed, apprehended the son of a man. And even Romans 9, And verse
30, when the Gentiles attained righteousness, that is, they
laid hold on righteousness, when God opened the door of faith
unto them, when it was the day of God's power in them and toward
them. But the New Testament clearly
teaches against free will. Should I say that again? The
New Testament clearly teaches against free will. If you want
to turn to the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 12, And verse
13, there we could read that their faith is the result of
regeneration and that the right or the privilege of being the
sons of God is traceable to them being born of God. And you will
notice the will of man is especially excluded as being the source
or the cause of the new birth. Not of the will of man, it clearly
is written. Paul says in Romans 9 and verse
16, it is not of him that willeth. or of him that runs, that it
is not by the will, it is not by the striving or the work of
the man. In the context In Romans 9, Paul
having just said, God has mercy on whom he will. Then he said, it is not of him
that will. For as Murray wrote on this text,
the emphasis falls on the exclusion of man's will as being the determining
factor in the matter. The Lord opened Lydia's heart
that she attended to the word of God preached by Paul. Acts
chapter 16, you can find that. A few final words on the text
now in Psalm 110. And God's Spirit through Christ
giving us what Goodwin called the gift of God, willingness. willingness a gift of God and
though by man's and though by nature man is unwilling yet in
regeneration he's given a new spiritual vital principle and
this makes him willing and they are willing subjects of Christ
because the will is renewed it is grace has come upon it and
now it is acting as under the influence of grace and the Holy
Spirit, and it does freely embrace Christ as it is drawn along by
the grace of God and the Spirit. Goodwin was one who believed
that our text was a prophecy of the day of Pentecost, that
is, the text in Psalm 110. But now, long last, coming to
our second point of emphasis concerning free will, that it
is not a harmless doctrine, that it is not a matter of no concern,
free willism and the bad effect that it has had upon Christendom. Or, as we put it earlier, consider,
if we might, the illegitimate children born of this harlot
doctrine over the years. Children such as decisional regeneration. Now that's the favorite doctrine
of free willism, decisional regeneration. What does that mean? Well, it
means that one can decide or decide not. One can decide or
will. One can will or not will. One
can decide or not will. and therefore a decision results
in the new birth or in regeneration. So we call it decisional regeneration. But this has also given rise
to easy-believe-ism over the course of the latter century. That being saved, they say, is
as simple and as easy as falling off of a log backwards. Nothing
to it, they say. It is easy, simple, and quick. All you do is repeat that old
sinner's prayer, or you come forward during the invitation,
or you raise your hand and ask those to pray for you, or as
they like to say, make a decision for Christ, unquote. What's more,
free willism has spawned the ever popular doctrine and practice
of the invitation system. It is free will that has given
us the invitation system. It was not until free willism
was in place. When sinners are urged to make
a decision now and on the spot, Don't leave here without doing
it. If you're not saved now, you
may never be saved. We have heard them say, don't
leave here today without accepting Jesus as your Savior. Don't go out that door lost without
making a decision for Christ. Now this may sound far-fetched
to some of you and to some, like an exaggeration even, but me
thinks that the invitation system which I'm describing is one of
the worst practices ever brought into the church by free will
theology. One of the most deceitful things
which Armenians have embraced. Some call the invitation the
most important part of the service, more important than the preaching
of the Word of God or the praying or the worshiping of the saints
of God. And so the invitation system,
come forward, stand now, everybody bow their head, and after seven
verses, of just as I am without one plea. And nobody comes. Then it's bow your head time,
close your eyes, raise your hand if God is dealing with you that
we might pray for you. Then another three verses, just
as I am without one plea. Then, if nobody comes, it is
a sad story, a little willy tale, three more verses of just as
I am without one plea. Now again, free willism has given
birth to the so-called carnal Christian teaching. I won't say
much about that, except to say it is that teaching that one
can accept Jesus as a personal Savior, but not as Lord, and
so they can be a Christian without any sanctification and go on
and live in the old way of life. But they are a Christian. That's
pretty popular, and you'll find it in a lot of places. So let's
understand that free willism is indeed Arminianism, and let
us understand that free willism and Arminianism has turned Christianity,
and I want to slow down, into religious humanism. Arminianism has turned Christianity
into nothing more than religious humanism. It is, in essence,
a practical denial of the fall and of total depravity. It is a denial of corruption
that has passed on every single faculty of human nature, including
the will of man. No faculty with which man has
been endowed disappeared in the fall, but they all fell and became
depraved and under the power of sin. Want me to prove it?
The mind and the conscience is defiled, Titus 1 and verse 15. The understanding is darkened,
Ephesians 4 and verse 19. The heart is desperately wicked,
Jeremiah 17 and verse 9. The affections, that is the love,
are disordered so that no faculty has escaped the ravages of sin. Why then accept the will, E-X-C-E-P-T. Why accept the will from the
form and depravity? Why do we not hear them talking
about free mind, free conscience, free heart, and all of that? I tell you, Ichabod is written
over human nature, for the original glory of it is departing. Let me go further. Free will
is an insult to free grace. Is the will of man has more power
than free grace? Is man's will more powerful than
God's will? Can free will indeed do what
God's will cannot, that is, save a sinner? Shall God's will wait
upon the will of a fallen sinner in order to do him good and to
spiritually save him? Now, they will agree. Scripture
said, whosoever believes, whosoever will, and such like. We say,
and you listen carefully to this if you're having doubt, whosoever,
when you see that in the scripture, always is to be taken first in
the context in which it is found. And it literally means, as many
as, Everyone that, those who. That's what whosoever means.
And what about Revelation 20 and verse 15? It says that whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. Everyone that, everyone even
though, even those. Free will is not restricted to
those who espouse Christianity. However, it seems that we are
born free willers, believing in free will. First, we believe
in free will, for man is Arminian by nature. They are right, who,
such as John Owen and many others, have called free will, therefore,
a stout idol. And I would that you look how
jealously they guarded, how zealous they are for its life and for
its propagation. Why some offended at the statue
of Mary, yet are not offended that free will has become an
idol God of the majority of Christianity. Now, we're going to close by
saying, We measure the doctrine of free will in the same scale
that we measure all other doctrines in, and that is the scale that
was used by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. You remember our Lord
saying this, That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination
unto God. The Lord said that. That which
is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God. That
which men love, that which men flock to, that which men cling
to and love and desire and preach and practice, is an abomination
unto God. Beware, I say, of that doctrine
that is espoused by the majority of Christendom. You better look
at it again. Remember the many and the few
in the scripture that our Lord speaks about? And free will is
just too popular to be of God. But free and sovereign grace
is not popular indeed is put down. See how many there are
who hold to free will. We should have learned by now
that the majority is not always right. And what the world loves
is foolishness in the sight of God more often than not. So that ought to be our guide.
Whatever the world highly esteem is an abomination unto God. Let that be the test of our doctrine. Now we've slaughtered a sacred
cow and knocked to pieces a blessed idol today. But the question
is whether or not we did it by scripture. And if by scripture,
then it is right. So consider that factor in. Not what you've always heard,
but what the Bible says.